Toothbrush



L. H. ALLES.

TOUTHBRUSH.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE14, I921- Patented May 9, 1922.

i a further ob] PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS H. ALLES, 0F WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.

TOOTHBRUSH.

Specification of Letters Patent. [Patent-ed May 9, 1922.

Application filed June 14, 1921. Serial No. 477,510.

To all 20 7mm it may concern Be it knownthat 1, Lotus H. ALLns, a citizen of the United States, residing in Wilmington, Delaware, have invented certain Improvements in Toothbrushes, of which the it'ollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in oscillatory tooth brushes, and one object of my invention is to provide a tooth brush in which a comparatively small longitndinal movement of the handle of the tooth brush. effects a comparatively large oscillatory movement of the brush element, a

'ect of the invention being to provide a tooth brush of thenature specified, in which the movement is effected with a minimum of friction. between the relatively moving elements.

The invention further contemplates the provision of an oscillatory tooth brush of comparatively cheap and simple construction, easilyassembled and disassembled, and extremely eflicient in operation.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the attached drawings, in which:

Figure. 1, is a side view in partial section Ofa. tooth brush made in accordance with my invention; l

Fig. 2, is a section on the line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, is a view in perspective of the tubular body extension;

Fig. 4, is a view in perspective of the associated tubular handle element, and

Fig. 5, is an inverted plan View of the said tubular handle element.

Myinvention in its preferred form consists of a body portion 1, which carries at one end the brush 2, said body portion 1 being recessed in the end, as indicated at 1 in Fig. 1, and having established in said recess a cylindrical element 3, the said cylindrical element being slotted longitudinally from one end, as shown at 4 in Fig. 3, and there being upon the said body portion 1 interiorly of the said recess a tongue 5, which is adapted to fit the said recess 4 to prevent the element 3 from turning in the body portion. As clearly shown in Fig. 3, the ele ment 3 has intermediate its ends and extending substantially half way around the element a spirally disposed peripheral slot or recess 6, the purpose of which slot will be described hereinafter.

The lower end of the cylindrical element is adapted to be inserted in one end of asubstantially tubular handle element 7, said handle element having established within the said open end thereof a tubular element 8, which latter element has an inside diameter slightly largerthan the outside dia1neter of the element 3, which passes therethrough. An internal spiral slot or recess 9 in said element 8 isadapted to register with the slot 6 of the element 3, as best indicated in Fig. 1. In the present instance I have shown the slot 9 formed by pressing out the material of the element 8, as shown in Figs. 4t and 5, thesaid slot 9 extending upwardly from the inner end of the element 8 and extending substantially half way around the said element 8. The pressing out of the may terialof the element 8 to form the said slot 9 forms a ridge 10 on the outside of said element, and this ridge is adapted to bear against theinner face of the handle element 7, there being also in the present instance an enlargement 11 at the top of the element 8 which also fits tightly'againstthe inside ottthe handle element, which latter is retained by thefriction of the said enlargement 11 and the ridge element. a

As shown in Fig. 1, the open ended portion of the handle element 7 is counterbored to a larger diameter than the lower portion, and the shoulder thus formed in the interior of the handle portion forms an inner stop for the element 8 and a closure for the inner end of the slot 9, such closure being essential for the retention of a ball or other ele ment 12, which is established in the channel formed by the two registering slots 6 and 9, and which is adapted to move freely in said channel, said member 12 constituting the connection between the handle element 7 and the body member 1.

It will. be clear from the foregoing description that movement of the handle element 7 axially of the element 3 will effect, through the element 12, a relative rotational movement between the body 1 and the ban dle 7, and that an axial reciprocation oi the said handle 7, with the latter being held to prevent rotationthereof, will efi'eet an oscillation on the longitudinal axis of the body member 1 and of the brush 2, this motion being the one that is desired.

In assembling the device, the element 3 is first inserted in the body member and the 10 within the handle slots,

element 8 is then placed on the element 3 in position such that the slot 6 registers with the slot 9.v The ball or other member 12 is then inserted through the end of the slot 9, and with the brush inverted so that the said element 12 will not again fall from the slot, the handle 7 is inserted over the elements 3 and 8 and forced down until the inner end of the element 8 meets the shoulder iv in the interior of the handle element.

"It will be noted that the inward movement of the element 8 upon the element 3 is limited by engagement with the edge of the body member 1, and that this same edge of the body member also limits the inward movement of-the handle element 7 upon the element 3. a

I am aware that tooth brushes operating substantially in the manner of the one herein described have been made heretofore with a fixed pin or the like working in connection with a spiral slot, but several advantages have'been found in the construction of the present device over the others. In the first place, by employing a ball free to move in the channel formed by the two registering I, obtain an extremely free and easy movement between the handle and the body portion, and I have further found that with the'use of these elements I am able to substantially reduce the effective length of the slots 6 and 9 to obtain for a full reciprocation of the handle element 7 a given oscillation of the brush 2.

I claim:

1. In a tooth brush, the combination with a brush-carrying body portion, of a handle element movable with respect to said body portion, said body and handle elements having registering spiral grooves therein, and

an element established within said grooves and free to move relative to both body and handle element.

2. In a tooth brush, the combination with a brush-carrying body portion, of a handle element movable with respect to said body portion, said body and handle elements having registering spiral grooves therein, and a spherical member established within said grooves.

3. In a tooth brush, the combination with a brush-carrying body portion having a cylindrical portion grooved spirally, of a tubular element adapted to receive therein the said cylindrical body portion and having an opposite and spiral groove adapted to register with the said groove of the cylindrical portion to form a channel, and an element established in said channel and movable therein with respect both to said handle and body portion.

1. In a tooth brush, the combination with a brush-carrying body portion having a cylindrical extension grooved spirally intermediate its ends, a tubular element designed to fit over the said extension and having extending from one end an opposite and spiral groove adapted to register with the groove in said extension and to form therewith a channel, an element established in said channel and movable therein with respect both to the said extension and tubular element, a hollow handle element adapted to receive both the said extension and tubular element and to retain the latter, a shoulder in said handle element adapted to abut the grooved end of said tubular element and to close the end of said groove, and means for limiting the inward movement of the tubular element on the extension.

LOUIS H. ALLES. 

